off-putting

adjective

off-put·​ting ˈȯf-ˌpu̇-tiŋ How to pronounce off-putting (audio)
Synonyms of off-puttingnext
: that puts one off : repellent, disconcerting
an off-putting attitude
off-puttingly adverb

Examples of off-putting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Litter Boxes The pungent smell of a litter box can be very off-putting to guests. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2025 The lengthy literary references are a bit off-putting in an otherwise poignant story of secrets and growth by a first-time novelist. Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2025 Baby ponders love in all its rejuvenating and off-putting shapes, sweating with a husband and father’s devotion but sometimes with a son’s pining for a closer connection with an oaklike and unreadable elder. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025 Networking is the common name for this process, although that term (and the practice) can sometimes feel off-putting to the very people who need to do it. Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 8 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for off-putting

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-putting was in 1935

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Cite this Entry

“Off-putting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-putting. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.

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